Jimmie Johnson’s Coke Zero 400 ended early, with a sharp thud, as his No. 48 Chevrolet nosed into the SAFER barrier inside Turn 4 on Lap 123 of 160. It was a violent collision, but the impact didn’t inflict as much pain as what Johnson did the following day.
After Saturday’s race, the five-time Sprint Cup champion flew to Charleston, S.C., to compete in a Charleston Sprint Triathlon Series race at James Island County Park on Sunday morning. Johnson completed the event, consisting of a 600-yard freshwater swim, a 12-mile bike ride and a five-kilometer run, in 1 hour, 11 minutes, 57 seconds, good for 46th overall.
Johnson recruited a group of 20 competitors, including most of his over-the-wall crew, who flew home after the Cup race and traveled through the night to Charleston by motor home.
“They literally pulled up in the parking lot 30 minutes prior to the start,” Johnson said.
Johnson had trouble with the run portion of the triathlon, usually his strong suit. Fellow Cup driver Kasey Kahne finished the event 20 sections ahead of his Hendrick Motorsports teammate.
“That’s the one I lost bragging rights to,” Johnson said. “He had an amazing run. His swim and bike time was strong, but his run was where it was at. But I did beat everybody else; and, believe me, I’ve been wearing them all out over it.”
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